# Benny the Butcher

Jeremie Damon Pennick (born November 27, 1984), known professionally as Benny the Butcher, or simply Benny, is an American rapper and songwriter. He came to prominence in 2018 following the release of his debut album, Tana Talk 3. Along with his cousins and fellow rappers Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine, with which he forms the collective Griselda, he is known for his '90s inspired rap songs and is often credited with leading a revival of the so called 'grimy' and 'gritty' hip hop music, influenced by mafioso and drug dealing themes.
Despite being signed at the age of 15, he continued to engage in drug dealing activities for a significant portion of his early life. Following the death of his brother, Machine Gun Blak, Pennick released numerous mixtapes and collaborative albums. His notable and most cited works are the albums Butcher on Steroids, Tana Talk 3, Burden of Proof, Tana Talk 4 and the EP The Plugs I Met.
Pennick's music often centers on his experiences as a young drug dealer in Buffalo, New York, the obstacles and the experiences he encountered. He has been praised by peers and critics for his storytelling ability and choice of sound.

## Early life

Pennick was born on November 27, 1984 and was the second-eldest of eight siblings, raised by a single mother. He spent his childhood growing up on Montana Avenue in the city of Buffalo, New York. Pennick started dealing heroin at the age of 14.

## Career
### 2004–2005: First mixtapes

Early in his career, Pennick started to work with local Buffalo hip hop record producer DJ Shay and started to record songs regularly. Pennick released his first mixtape titled Tana Talk in 2004. Pennick notes he printed 5,000 copies of his mixtape and handed them out for free to gain fans. Tana Talk is considered a piece of lost media, of which Pennick himself initially commented that he does not have a copy. However, in an interview promoting Tana Talk 3, Pennick hinted that he does have the source files for the mixtape, and would release the mixtape should he feel inclined to in the future. He released the follow up, Tana Talk 2, in 2005.

### 2005–2013: Shooting of brother and initial mixtapes

On October 3, 2006, Pennick's older brother Marchello Lowery, also known as Machine Gun Black, was shot in a drive by shooting on Montana Block, in Buffalo, New York. Pennick was in jail for violating his parole at the time. The death of Lowery impacted Pennick and his cousins profoundly, and has a major influence on the content of their music and lyrics.
Motivated by the legacy and work ethic of Lowery, Pennick started to record songs and compile mixtapes at an increased rate, releasing 12 between 2007 and 2013. During this time he was still an active drug dealer, being caught numerous times by the police and serving multiple sentences in prison.

### 2014–2016: Signing to Griselda Records, Black Soprano Family and final projects as Benny

In 2014, Westside Gunn founded Griselda Records, through which Benny, Conway The Machine, and Westside Gunn would self-release their own projects. Pennick's music would take a major shift from popular sounds and reused beats from existing artists, as was the trend in the 2000s mixtape period, to more targeted in house production. He adopted the sound pioneered by his cousins, Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, and developed by the in house producer, Daringer. Pennick appeared on many releases by Griselda Records and started to gain popularity as a regular featured artist. Around the same time Pennick founded the Black Soprano Family, a collective of Buffalo rappers that he was affiliated with. They released the collective mixtape Black Soprano Family on May 11, 2015. He then released the mixtape My 1 on a 1 in 2016. The Black Soprano mixtape marked the end of his work as 'Benny', as future releases from this point would be under the moniker Benny the Butcher.

### 2016–2017: Benny the Butcher and new artistic direction

During 2016, Pennick began to work with the in house producer for Griselda Records, Daringer, and moulded his sound to match the sonic aesthetics of other Griselda imprint members. He released his first solo mixtape under Griselda, titled My First Brick, on October 8, 2016. This mixtape marked a change in Pennick's style and choice of beats to rap over. The mixtape followed a more 'boom bap' aesthetic, incorporating live instruments instead of the more heavily 808s and synthesizers typical of his previous mixtape efforts, and showed more experimentation with sound. He then released the EP 17 Bullets, emphasizing his new artistic direction.
On March 3, 2017, Griselda (as a collective), as well as Pennick's cousins Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, signed a deal with Eminem's Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope. In April 2017, Benny the Butcher and his collective Black Soprano Family signed a label deal with Entertainment One Music. While working on his next project and debut album, Following this, he released the EP Tommy Devitos Breakfast on October 28, 2017.
That same year, on November 17, 2017, Pennick, as Benny the Butcher, released the mixtape Butcher On Steroids, in collaboration with DJ Green Lantern. This was part of a series of mixtapes that DJ Green Lantern was creating with Griselda Records members, having made similar 'Steroids' mixtapes with Conway The Machine and Westside Gunn. The mixtape was received with critical acclaim and widely praised by fans and critics who noted Pennick's progression and refined sonic Palette.
Capitalizing on the success of Butcher on Steroids, Pennick collaborated with his hometown friend and fellow rapper, 38 Spesh, to release the joint mixtape Stabbed and Shot, officially released on 18 February 2018.

### 2018–2019: Debut album Tana Talk 3, The Plugs I Met, WWCD and critical acclaim

On November 23, 2018, Pennick released his debut studio album Tana Talk 3, produced by The Alchemist and Griselda Records' in house producer Daringer. This would be the third in the installments of Tana Talk projects, named after the block Pennick grew up on, Montana Avenue. The cover is a painting of his deceased older half-brother, MachineGun Black as a baby, and the lyrics to the album would focus heavily on Pennick's feelings on the death of his brother. The album was developed by setting aside suitable songs and beats created during Westside Gunn's, Hitler Wears Hermes 6, recording sessions. Once those recording sessions were complete The Alchemist and Pennick completed recording other songs within two weeks. Critics praised the production and content of the album, saying "There's a certain introspection that guides Benny’s lyrics on this song, as he touches on topics ranging from drug trafficking to police racism in the murder of Eric Garner". HipHopDX claimed that "Benny the Butcher crafts his magnus opus with Tana Talk 3", writing that "the project is all the things you love about everything Griselda ever drops, but with this extra layer of sonic consistency crafted by the two upper-echelon grimy beatsmiths".
June 21, 2019 marked the release of his fourth extended play, The Plugs I Met, which included guest appearances from Black Thought, Pusha T, 38 Spesh, Jadakiss, and Conway the Machine. On August 6, it was announced that Pennick signed a management deal with Roc Nation. Writing about Benny the Butcher's 2019 project, Dan-O of Freemusicempire said "Benny The Butcher did an EP with the greatest guest list of the year. Right after the intro skit you hear him next to Black Thought. Next song Jadakiss, and closing out the project with Pusha T's second best guest appearance of 2019 on 18 Wheeler. No matter who was with him Benny blew like Sonny Rollins on the Sax, whether Conway the Machine or Eminem was coming on next ... it didn't matter. The Butcher has a gift and no fear."

### 2020–present: Commercial success and Def Jam deal

On August 27, 2020, Benny the Butcher announced in an interview with Adam22 for No Jumper that he would release an album under eOne called Burden of Proof between late September and early October. The album was eventually released on October 16 to rave reviews.
On March 19, 2021, Benny the Butcher released the sequel to The Plugs I Met EP, with a collaboration EP with Harry Fraud, named The Plugs I Met 2. This EP received widespread critical acclaim from various music critics.
On November 12, 2021, he officially signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings for upcoming releases. The announcement was made by American rapper Snoop Dogg, a creative consultant for the label, on Joe Rogan's podcast The Joe Rogan Experience a week after Benny the Butcher was featured on Snoop Dogg's single "Murder Music" alongside Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes.
On January 28, 2022, Benny released the single, "Johnny P's Caddy", with rapper J. Cole. The song is the lead single from Benny's album, Tana Talk 4, which he has labeled "album of the year". Tana Talk 4 was eventually released on March 11 to generally favorable reviews.
Two years following the release of Tana Talk 4, Benny made his major label debut under Def Jam on January 26, 2024, with the release of his fourth full-length studio album, Everybody Can't Go. The album included guest appearances from Armani Caesar, Babyface Ray, Conway the Machine, Jadakiss, Kyle Banks, Lil Wayne, Peezy, Rick Hyde, Snoop Dogg, Stove God Cooks, and Westside Gunn. The album was solely produced by The Alchemist and Hit-Boy, with Corbett providing additional production on the title track.
In June 2024, Benny's "Big Dog" feat. Lil Wayne was nominated for the Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Adult Contemporary Hip Hop category.

## Personal life

In November 2020, in Houston, Texas, Benny the Butcher was shot in the leg during an attempted robbery in a Walmart parking lot.
On October 27, 2021, Benny the Butcher cancelled a concert at Detroit's Saint Andrew's Hall after he was hospitalized with asthma, a condition he has both rapped about and spoken about in interviews. In a verified annotation on Genius's lyric page for his song "Where Would I Go" off the 2020 album Burden of Proof, he wrote he has lived with asthma for 25 years and the condition forces him to go to the emergency room two or three times a year: "I got to be careful, I got to make sure I wear my mask, I got to make sure I'm taking my medicine. Running the streets and being in and out of prison, it's probably something I haven't done the best of. But being older, that's something that I take care of".
He was embroiled in a two-year feud with Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs. In August 2022, after trading insults with Benny the Butcher over social media for several months, Freddie Gibbs was beat up by a large mob of people while on a date at a Dinosaur BBQ location in Buffalo, New York. TMZ acquired footage of the brawl, leading the video to go viral. Benny seemed to confirm his involvement in the incident, posting images on social media of a chain allegedly taken from Gibbs during the fight. In a January 2024 interview with The Breakfast Club, Benny stated that the beef between the two rappers was over, but that he was not interested in making amends with Gibbs.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | US | US R&B/HH | US Rap | US Ind. | CAN | UK DL |
| Tana Talk 3 | Released: November 23, 2018 Label: Griselda, Black Soprano Family Format: LP, digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Burden of Proof | Released: October 16, 2020 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: LP, digital download, streaming | 27 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 100 | — |
| Tana Talk 4 | Released: March 11, 2022 Label: Griselda, Black Soprano Family, Empire Format: LP, digital download, streaming | 22 | 12 | 9 | 6 | — | — |
| Everybody Can't Go | Released: January 26, 2024 Label: 5 to 50, Def Jam Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming | 93 | 37 | — | — | — | 46 |

#### Collaboration albums

List of mixtapes, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Album details |
| Butcher on Steroids (with DJ Green Lantern) | Released: November 27, 2017 Formats: LP, digital download, streaming |
| Trust the Sopranos (with 38 Spesh) | Released: May 21, 2021 Formats: LP, digital download, streaming |
| Stabbed & Shot 2 (with 38 Spesh) | Released: October 18, 2024 Formats: vinyl, digital download, streaming |

### Extended plays

| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | EP details | US | US R&B/HH | US Rap | US Ind. | UK R&B |
| 17 Bullets | Released: December 26, 2016 Label: Black Soprano Family Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tommy Devito's Breakfast (with Cuns) | Released: October 28, 2017 Label: Tuff Kong Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — |
| A Friend of Ours | Released: June 1, 2018 Label: Black Soprano Family Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — |
| The Plugs I Met | Released: June 21, 2019 Label: Black Soprano Family Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — | — | 22 | — |
| Statue of Limitations (with Smoke DZA) | Released: October 18, 2019 Label: RFC, Cinematic Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — | — | 38 | — |
| The Plugs I Met 2 (with Harry Fraud) | Released: March 19, 2021 Label: Black Soprano Family, SRFSCHL Format: Digital download, streaming | 33 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 21 |
| Pyrex Picasso | Released: August 13, 2021 Label: Black Soprano Family, Rare Scrilla Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — |

### Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Album details |
| Tana Talk (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: 2004 Formats: LP |
| B.E.N.N.Y. vs. Lil Wayne (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: 2007 Formats: LP |
| The American D.Boy (as B.EY) | Released: February 9, 2007 Formats: LP |
| American D.Boy II: Lindsay Lohan (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: October 2007 Formats: LP |
| American D.Boy III: Paris Hilton & Kate Moss (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: February 2, 2009 Formats: LP |
| B.E.N.N.Y. Best Ever (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: February 7, 2009 Formats: LP |
| The Mayor's Back (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: February 11, 2009 Formats: LP |
| American D.Boy IV: Amy Winehouse (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: February 12, 2009 Formats: LP |
| Tana Talk 2 (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: February 12, 2009 Formats: LP |
| American D.Boy V (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: 2009 Formats: LP |
| Chains Bond (as 2 Chain Bennymane) | Released: April 8, 2009 Formats: LP |
| Benny Montana (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: 2007 Formats: LP |
| Benny Montana (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: June 22, 2010 Formats: LP |
| Married 2 Da Game: The Mixtape (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: 2007 Formats: LP |
| B.E.N.N.Y. Best Ever (as B.E.N.N.Y.) | Released: February 26, 2013 Formats: LP |
| Black Soprano Family (as Benny) | Released: May 11, 2015 Formats: LP |
| 1 on a 1 (as Benny) | Released: March 8, 2016 Formats: LP |
| 1 on a 1 | Released: March 8, 2016 Formats: LP, digital download, streaming |
| My First Brick | Released: October 8, 2016 Formats: LP, digital download, streaming |

### Collaboration mixtapes

* Best of the Underworld (as B.E.N.N.Y. with Johnal) (2006)
* Cocaine Cowboys (as B.E.N.N.Y. with .38 Special) (2009)
* Who Wants What (with Street Entertainment and DJ Kay Slay) (2006)
* SE Gang Bang Bang (with Street Entertainment) (2005)
* The Pre-season: Mixtape Series (with Buff City Music Group) (2012)
* Stabbed & Shot (with 38 Spesh) (2018)
* Searchin' for a Purpose (with Black Soprano Family) (2020)
* Da Respected Sopranos (with Black Soprano Family and DJ Drama) (2020)
* Long Live DJ Shay (with Black Soprano Family) (2022)
* Summertime Butch (with Black Soprano Family) (2024)

### With Griselda

* WWCD (2019)

## Guest appearances

| Year | Artist | Album | Song |
| 2016 | Westside Gunn | Flygod | Shower Shoe Lords |
| 2018 | Westside Gunn, Styles P | HWH5 | Down State |
| 2018 | Westside Gunn | HWH6 | GiGis |
| 2018 | Westside Gunn | HWH6 | B.I.G. Luther Freestyle |
| 2018 | Westside Gunn, Lord Flee | HWH6 | Niggas in Puerto Rico |
| 2018 | Westside Gunn, Jadakiss | Supreme Blientele | GODS Don't Bleed |
| 2018 | Westside Gunn, Busta Rhymes | Supreme Blientele | Brossface Brippler |
| 2018 | Left Lane Didon & J.O.D | Duece Duece | Back Doe Lil Joe |
| 2019 | Westside Gunn, Curren$y | HWH7 | Lucha |
| 2019 | Alchemist, Elcamino | Yacht Rock 2 | Sand Castles |
| 2019 | clipping., Elcamino & The Rita | There Existed an Addiction to Blood | La Mala Ordina |
| 2019 | Styles P, Conway | PRESENCE | Blam x3 |
| 2020 | The Alchemist & Freddie Gibbs | Alfredo | Frank Lucas |
| 2020 | Royce da 5'9", Ashley Sorrell | The Allegory | Upside Down |
| 2020 | Fred the Godson, .38 Spesh | God Level | Nokia |
| 2020 | The L.O.X., Westside Gunn | Living Off Xperience | Think of the LOX |
| 2020 | Lil Wayne, Conway the Machine | Funeral | Russian Roulette |
| 2020 | Russ | Shake the Snowglobe | I Thought You Got Me |
| 2020 | Dave East | Karma 3 | Stone Killer |
| 2020 | T.I., Jadakiss | The L.I.B.R.A. | Make Amends |
| 2020 | Russ, Black Thought | Chomp | Momentum |
| 2020 | Alchemist & Boldy James | The Price of Tea in China | Scrape the Bowl |
| 2021 | Alchemist & Boldy James | Bo Jackson | Brickmile to Montana |
| 2021 | Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss | Algorithm | Murder Music |
| 2021 | Neek Bucks | Neighborhood Hov | Pain |
| 2021 | Chase Fetti, Heem | Conflicted (soundtrack) | Mobbin |
| 2021 | solo | Conflicted (soundtrack) | 3:30 in Houston |
| 2021 | Armani Caesar, Westside Gunn | Conflicted (soundtrack) | Mission Accomplished |
| 2021 | Rick Ross | Richer Than I Ever Been | Rapper Estates |
| 2021 | Lloyd Banks | The Course of the Inevitable | Formaldehyde |
| 2021 | Berner, Styles P, Conway, Mozzy | GOTTi | Pound for Pound |
| 2022 | .38 Spesh, Ransom, Harry Fraud | Beyond Belief | Band of Brothers |
| 2022 | Lloyd Banks | The Course of the Inevitable 2 | Living Proof |
| 2022 | French Montana, Harry Fraud, Jadakiss | Montega | Bricks & Bags |
| 2022 | Rome Streetz | KISS THE RING | Blow for Blow |
| 2022 | Dave East, Greg Young | HDIGH | Don't Let Me Down |
| 2022 | Maino | The Lobby Boyz | Praying |
| 2023 | G Herbo | Survivor's Remorse | Real Rap |
| 2023 | Mick Jenkins | The Patience | Sitting Ducks |
| 2023 | Jim Jones, trav | Back in My Prime | Bet It All |
| 2023 | IDK | F65 | Up the Score |
| 2023 | DJ Drama, Fabolous, Jim Jones, Capelonia | I'M REALLY LIKE THAT | Forever |
| 2023 | .38 Spesh & Conway the Machine | Speshal Machinery | Goodfellas |
| 2023 | Curren$y & Harry Fraud | VICES | Stingray |
| 2023 | Leon Thomas | Electric Dusk | X-Rated |
| 2023 | Swizz Beatz, Jadakiss, Scarlip | Hip Hop 50: Vol. 2 | Take 'Em Out |
| 2023 | Tony Touch, Conway the Machine | The Def Tape | We Shot Ya |
| 2023 | Conway the Machine, .38 Spesh | Drumwork: The Album | LALO |
| 2023 | 2 Chainz & LIl Wayne | Collegrove 2 | Oprah & Gayle |
| 2023 | Jolagreen23 | RECHERCHE&DESTRUCTION | OKC |
| 2024 | Cam Wells | ` | Tony Two Tone |
| 2024 | Jay Worthy, Chuck Inglish | ` | Summer Activity |
| 2024 | Uncle Murda | Lenny Grant Story | No Safety |
| 2024 | Westside Gunn, DJ Drama | Still Praying | Still Praying |
| 2024 | .38 Spesh | Mother & Gun | Underestimated |
| 2024 | Dave East, Aarabmuzik, Swizz Beatz | Living Proof | Lift Em Up |
| 2024 | Payroll Giovani | Hustle Muzik | Deeply Involved |
| 2024 | Sule, Black Soprano Family | Written on Wides Corner | Trois Sopranos |

### Charted songs

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | US | US R&B/HH | US Rap | CAN | WW | Album |
| "Johnny P's Caddy" (with J. Cole) | 2022 | 72 | 22 | 14 | 84 | 139 | Tana Talk 4 |

### Music videos

As lead artist :
| Year | Album | Title | Director | Featured artist |
| 2015 | Black Soprano Family | La Familia | Austin Martinelli | G Herbo |
| 2016 | 1 On A 1 | All In My Head | n/c | |
| 2016 | My First Brick | Me & Doug | AK.Reed Films | |
| 2017 | Butcher on Steroids | Change | THC Films | |
| 2017 | Butcher on Steroids | Hustler's Wife | THC Films | |
| 2018 | Stabbed & Shot | 2 Weapons | n/c | 38 Spesh |
| 2018 | Stabbed & Shot | Man Of The Kitchen | GrecTVfilms | |
| 2018 | A Friend of Ours | India | Solo Visions | El Camino |
| 2018 | A Friend of Ours | Long Way | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta | El Camino |
| 2018 | A Friend of Ours | Jackpot | D. Hawks | El Camino |
| 2018 | Tana Talk 3 | Joe Pesci 38 | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta | |
| 2018 | Tana Talk 3 | Broken Bottles | Mercenary Films | |
| 2019 | Tana Talk 3 | Rubber Bands & Weight | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta | |
| 2019 | Tana Talk 3 | Scarface Vs. Sosa Pt. 2 | Condido Verona | |
| 2019 | The Plugs I Met | 5 to 50 | Otto the Director | India |
| 2019 | The Plugs I Met | Took the Money to the Plug's House | Condido Verona | |
| 2019 | The Plugs I Met | Sunday School (Live Version) | 1000 Words | Jadakiss, 38 Spesh |
| 2020 | Burden of Proof | Legend | Joe Lombard | Hit-Boy |
| 2020 | Burden of Proof | Famous | The Wizard | |
| 2020 | Burden of Proof | Trade It All | The Wizard | |
| 2021 | The Plugs I Met 2 | Thanksgiving | The Wizard | Harry Fraud |
| 2021 | The Plugs I Met 2 | Plug Talk | The Wizard | Harry Fraud, 2 Chainz |
| 2021 | The Plugs I Met 2 | Survivor's Remorse | The Digggers | Harry Fraud, Rick Hyde |
| 2021 | The Plugs I Met 2 | When Tony Met Sosa | The Digggers | Harry Fraud |
| 2021 | The Plugs I Met 2 | Overall | Paperface | Harry Fraud, Chinx |
| 2021 | Long Live DJ Shay | Mr. Pyrex Man | The Wizard | |
| 2022 | Tana Talk 4 | Johnny P's Caddy | Heirs | J. Cole |
| 2022 | Tana Talk 4 | 10 More Commandments | The Wizard | Diddy |
| 2022 | Tana Talk 4 | Bust a Brick Nick | Kat, Tony Deniro, Blu | |
| 2022 | Tana Talk 4 | Uncle Bun | Nitro4K | 38 Spesh |
| 2022 | Tana Talk 4 | Super Plug | CMDelux | |
| 2022 | / | Welcome to the States | n/c | |
| 2022 | Tana Talk 4 | Thowy's Revenge | Max Toshiro | |
| 2023 | / | Big Dog | Ricky Alvarez | Lil Wayne |
| 2023 | / | One Foot In | The Wizard | Stove God Cooks |
| 2024 | Everybody Can't Go | BRON | The Wizard | |
| 2024 | Everybody Can't Go | Back Again | Thirdeyeraz | Snoop Dogg |

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2021 | Conflicted | Nick | Film Debut |